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Monday, November 28, 2011

Great Commissions Languages-French 1-A - Review

From the first time that Lydia and I read a Fancy Nancy book she has wanted to learn French. So we were excited to receive this product to review. I do not speak French, and I know absolutely none. Yes I have heard the jokes about french fries and french toast...lol. But hey, I studied Spanish in high school and kept up on that a little bit. That is needed more in our area than French. So the thought of this scared me a bit, actually a little more than learning Latin. After all, she is wanting to learn more than some vocabulary. She wants to learn conversation. And my rule is to learn along with the kids so that I can help them practice. (I am even learning guitar right now because of this same philosophy.)

Great Commission Languages is truly Simple French. I really enjoyed the straightforward teaching style with the lesson plans laid out for me. The simplicity and little planning effort I needed to put forth, helped me to approach this with a lot more confidence. Instead of planning, I was able to concentrate more on learning. If you are using this for a co-op, this is perfect for you. Very little extra work is needed for you.

Another plus for this program are the cds. The last thing I want is to teach her to say a sound the wrong way, so the script cds are wonderful!!! We have used the audio not only at home, but to practice in the van. You can also find printables on these.

Our French is definitely a work in progress, but we are truly enjoying this program and it's easy to use style.

We have been exploring Level 1-A, which is recommended for Grades 7 and up. And we have picked up on many new words for us. There is a great conversational learning style here. It's so different than just learning vocabulary. We are hearing words used in casual conversation. (And we can rewind the conversation and hear it over and over, so we can hopefully learn it also.)

We will be purchasing Le Français Facile!Junior since we are a bit over our heads with this level. But yet, even though Lydia is no where near the 7th grade, she and I have been using this program level very easily. It is helping us to get used to letter and word sounds.

Way more than a computer game that simply teaches words, Le Français Facile! has everything you need to succeed at teaching French! If you want to go beyond "getting by on a tourist trip to France," then you need to understand the French people, their culture, and their expressions. Every lesson includes French cultural notes and trivia. French idioms (an English idiom would be "Six of one, half a dozen of another) are used in the stories, explained, and kept in your students notebook. You even get some fabulous French recipes (Marie's recipe for Ratatouille is worth the cost of the program alone)! The aim of Le Français Facile! is to turn you into a truly bilingual person, able to go into business with, or present the Gospel to, the French speaking world.

They even offer some extra free printables. If you are looking for a Super Easy Foreign Language curriculum, Great Commission Languages will be there for you from elementary level through high school.

I do feel that this program is a bit pricey. Learning a foreign language is a huge plus. But I consider it sort of an optional activity. She doesn't need to learn French. I like though that we can use this program with multiple children and it will not be necessary to repurchase workbooks. So the cost can be "spread" across several children. And the ease of use, to me, makes it truly worth the cost. My only problem is fitting it into our already busy schedule...lol!

If French is not a language your family is interested in, they also carry Easy Spanish.

*****I received Le Français Facile!Level IA from Great Commission Languages free of charge for the sole purpose of this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The views I have expressed are my own and are real experiences with my family. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html>:"Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."